Separate Ways
by arinandron
Summary: *Inspired by "Separate Ways" by Journey* Garrus has to come to terms that Shepard may return to Kaidan. No matter what happens, he'll always love her even if they go their separate ways. Read and review, lovelies. Rated T for possible future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! I've been listening to a lot of Journey lately and the song Separate Ways oddly coincided with my currently playthrough of Mass Effect. Thus this story was born.**

 ***Disclaimer* Mass Effect is owned by BioWare and all characters and settings within. I do not own anything.**

All of the Normandy was quiet. Most of the crew had retired for the night or hovered in darkened corners. It was never said aloud but this mission was taking a clear toll on everyone.

This was especially true for Garrus tonight. He fiddled with the settings of the Thanex cannon absentmindedly while he mused over the past few hours. He sighed heavily and rolled his neck in weariness, fighting to stay awake.

 _Rina Shepard had come back to the Normandy in a right foul mood. The scars on her face were glowing molten red as she stormed down the bridge and through the CIC. She angrily punched the elevator button, each jab becoming more vicious as the doors remained closed. She was about to downright slug the wall when the doors whooshed open revealing a surprised Garrus. Rina withdrew her coiled fist and stepped inside silently, discreetly directing to him that she wanted to head up. He obliged and remained silent. He'd learned long ago that when Shepard was in such a black mood it was best to let her engage you._

 _Rina sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples, rubbing slow circles in an effort to alleviate the headache that her biotics formed. She appreciated Garrus not attempting conversation. With what just happened she didn't know how she'd be able to explain without either erupting into tears or tearing a hole through the wall._

 _The elevator finally arrived at the top floor. She stepped out and looked back at Garrus with a slight nod towards her door. He took her cue and followed her inside. He'd been inside her suite on a few occasions, mostly for strategy discussions or reminiscing over drinks. The times they'd shared there were precious to him for many reasons, least of all being that they'd spent one incredible night in the very bed that she sat on, head in her armoured hands._

 _He stood awkwardly by her side and simply waited. Finally she stood and began to remove her armour, keeping her eyes strictly away from his._

 _"I'm sure you're waiting to hear what happened," she said under her breath as she removed her breastplate. He simply waited until she turned and looked at him with an expression of both frustration and loss. She sat down on the couch and gestured for him to join her._

 _"You probably know that Kaidan was with me," she started. Garrus nodded. "I thought that after Horizon we'd move past the judgements. I thought he'd look past my connection with Cerberus once the Collector base was destroyed. I thought he knew I wasn't with them from the beginning. But out there, he questioned me again." She looked into his striking blue eyes and he could see the flood of tears that threatened to spill from her beautiful red eyes. "He accused me of lying, of deceiving everyone. He said he didn't know if the woman he loved was still there." She wiped angrily at the drops that fell on her scarred cheeks. She sniffed and scoffed, looking down at her hands. "For someone who claimed to care so much he certainly doesn't show it. He can't see past the scars." She looked back up and the corner of her lips twitched with a half-assed smile. "You did, though." Her eyes met his and he thought he could see the attraction she'd shown him once more. He shifted self consciously in his seat and suddenly felt too warm in his heavy armour. She fought to stifle a giggle as she watched him. "Say something, Vakarian."_

 _He cleared his throat loudly and faced her. "Shepard, surely you can understand that when you died no one thought we'd ever see you again." Rina nodded. "When I saw you through my scope on Omega…at first I didn't believe what I saw. When you found your way to me and mentioned who you were with, I found it difficult to grasp. But as I watched you fight and issue commands to your team I realized that it didn't matter whether or not you worked with Cerberus. I was just so happy to have my friend back." He gently touched her hand and his mandibles fluttered slightly. She laid her other hand atop his and squeezed gently, urging him to continue._

 _"It never occurred to me to question your motives, Shepard," he said. "To me, you hadn't changed at all. You were still the hard-ass I knew you to be on the SR1. You still let people know exactly where they stood and bolstered the crew's loyalty with action and results. And when you started coming to see me in the Battery, I began to realize what I should've realized long before then." He took his other hand and gently ran his fingers through her black hair. "But you already know that bit. But in case you've forgotten with all this stress, let me remind you."_

 _He pulled her head gently towards him and rested his forehead against hers, rubbing gently and purring._

 _"I love you, Rina Shepard. I've loved you since the moment I met you on the Citadel all those years ago. I loved you when you helped me track down Dr. Saleon. I loved you when you died. I loved you when you appeared on Omega. I loved you when you destroyed the Collectors. I love you now even when another has a hold on your heart." He backed away slightly and held her gaze for a few silent moments before continuing._

 _"If you choose to go back to Kaidan, I won't fight you. I would rather remain your close friend than push you away from rejection. If he ever hurts you remember that I'll always love you. Our night here will forever be a cherished memory. Even if we go our separate ways you'll never be without Vakarian." He stood and gently pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his narrow waist and pulled herself as flush as she could against him._

 _His heart beat bitterly at the thought of her going back to Kaidan but he needed to respect her decision. She backed up and gently laid a hand on his mangled mandible. She stroked it with her callused thumb and laughed lightly._

 _"You'll always be a part of me, Garrus. You're my closest friend. Hell, we even resemble each other." Garrus gently touched her facial scars and she leaned into his hand, sighing. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but whatever happens, you matter so much to me. There is no Shepard without Vakarian. Thanks for listening and being there for me." She leaned up slowly and pressed a soft kiss to his hard lips. He hadn't forgotten the feeling of her lips. He returned her kiss as best he could and left the cabin without a word._

He still couldn't shake himself of the prickling doubt in his mind but it didn't matter now. What did matter was that he gave everything he had to this mission. He continued to run the calibrations when he heard the door open behind him. He looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see Rina standing there in a white T-shirt and her BDUs. Garrus turned to face her and saw her eyes were puffy and glistening. He motioned for her to come inside and he locked the door behind her. She stood silently before him and took a shaky breath.

"I've made my decision," she said in a barely audible whisper. Garrus strained to hear and leaned down closer. When she looked up his face was mere inches from hers.

"And what have you decided?" he said lowly, his sub-harmonics vibrating in his throat. Her eyes flicked from his to his lips and quickly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him more forcefully than she ever had. He blinked in surprise but quickly held her close, lifting her off the floor with his strong arms. He let her down gently and stroked her hair.

"I talked with Kaidan," she said. "No matter how I tried, I couldn't get you out of my head. If being with Cerberus wasn't reason enough for him to distrust me, he held you against me." Rina gently stroked Garrus' fringe and he sighed. "I knew then that I couldn't stay with him. His mind and ideals are too rigid for how much our world has changed. You and I have adapted to this insanity and you never judged me for a single second. I love you, Garrus Vakarian and I never plan to stop."

He lifted her up again and kissed her with unbridled happiness. Her face was flushed pink as he set her down again and he found her then to be the most beautiful than she'd ever been, scars and all.

"You've made me the happiest turian alive, Rina," he whispered. "I want so much to show you how but we need rest." He laughed as she made a pouting face. He nuzzled her forehead with his and gently patted her rear as he escorted her out the door.

"I'll get you yet, Vakarian," she said with mock menace. He growled quietly and watched as she walked away, swinging her hips in a deliberately hypnotising fashion.

"I'll be waiting," he answered.

 **Maybe I'll continue this if anyone calls for it. Please review and have a lovely day, my dearies!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm happy that I got requested to continue this story. This is where it ends so I hope you enjoy what I've offered.**

 ***Disclaimer* Mass Effect belongs to BioWare. I own nothing.**

Rina Shepard sat at her desk and rubbed her eyes, tired from writing post mission reports and over viewing war assets. Leaning back in her chair she looked over her shoulder at a photo on her shelf: a group picture of the original Normandy crew after the Citadel attack. Her eyes immediately flitted to the tall, commanding turian in the background, sniper rifle slung oh-so-casually over his right shoulder.

His name buzzed on her lips. Garrus Vakarian.

It had been a week since she'd spoken to him after her late night visit. Missions were keeping them apart and the stress of the news from both Earth and Palaven wasn't helping either of them feel in any particularly flirty mood.

She glanced again at the photo and slightly frowned at the image of the biotic sentinel with his hand grasping her shoulder. The talk with Kaidan hadn't been easy. She tried so hard to convince him of her innocence; of her sincerity. It seemed as though he'd shed his rose coloured glasses with the reality of their situation. Their promises were made in vain and her heart ached for it.

She shook her head and put the photo face down on the shelf. She didn't want to look at it anymore. Walking over to the luminescent fish tank she grew tranquil watching the exotic creatures swim lazily, completely unaware of the danger every living being faced. _'Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?'_ she thought.

"Commander, a message from Garrus," Joker's voice suddenly cut in. "He wants to discuss artillery and current developments on Palaven."

"Send him up," she replied. Rina quickly retreated into her washroom and hurriedly primped in the mirror. He may only be coming on strictly business but that doesn't mean she couldn't look attractive in the mean time.

She heard the soft whoosh of the cabin door and greeted Garrus, surprisingly in civvies. She'd almost never seen him in anything but full combat plate and secretly took the opportunity to remember how strong and bold he'd been that night before Omega-4. She hadn't realized she'd been staring until Garrus broke her reverie.

"See something you like, Commander?" he said with a slight tease in his tone. His mandibles fluttered confidently as she looked away with a pink blush blessing her face. Rina cleared her throat and motioned towards the seating area.

"Joker said you wished to discuss artillery and Palaven," she said as she flopped into an armchair. He sat slowly across from her and folded his hands, looking grave.

"Yes. I've heard some news from Primarch Victus and things aren't looking good," he said. "Millions of turians are dying daily and I'm beginning to wonder if we've got enough firepower to make even the slightest difference." He scratched his neck at his cowl and she was privy to a mere second's worth of soft leathery skin. Despite the weight of the subject at hand she couldn't help but feel a small pool of heat gather in her stomach.

"I wonder the same thing, Garrus. But we've done everything we can to prepare. There's little more we can do right now. All we can do is hold out for the Crucible and hope that it can stop the Reapers." Rising from her chair she walked over and leaned over the armrest of his seat, lazily draping her right arm over his shoulders. He stiffened slightly and she grinned to herself.

"I don't know about you but I need to blow off some steam," she said at length. She stood and motioned from Garrus to rise. She stood at the far wall and put up her fists. "Care to dance, Vakarian?"

He chuckled under his breath and took his stance. "I warn you, Shepard, I've got a hell of a reach." He waited and watched her until he saw her muscles bunch and launched forward.

He threw a fist at her head and she deflected with her arm. She reached with her right leg to kick his shoulder but his hand caught her foot. He flipped her over and she landed with a loud thud on the cabin floor. Quickly standing and brushing off the ache, she threw well aimed blows to his guarding forearms. He noticed her scars were glowing bright red and marvelled at her savage beauty. Noticing his guard was down for a moment she took the shot and connected a solid punch to his jaw, spinning around quickly to sweep his feet out from underneath him. He fell with a yelp and a crash as she pinned him down with her muscular legs.

She was breathing hard and felt exhilarated at the realization that she'd landed a legitimate blow against such a skill melee fighter. She wanted to lord her victory over him but the look in his eyes stopped her before she could speak. They were shining with passion and excitement. She froze and couldn't look away, so caught in his stare that she didn't realize his hands had come up around her waist and held her securely against him.

"I see you still have flexibility," he mumbled. The purr in his sub-harmonics was enough to intensify the heat that was spreading throughout her nerves. She let her fingers gracefully dance over the blue colony markings on his face and sighed as she felt his hands grip her body just a fraction tighter.

Garrus couldn't deny how beautiful she was at that moment. Her eyes were bright, her smile enthralling, her heartbeat pounding, her body hot.

It had been a hard week for him after she'd left. He wanted little more than to storm into her cabin and ravish her, more than willing to prove she'd made a wise decision choosing him over Alenko. He carefully removed his gloves and let his bare hands reacquaint themselves with the softness of her skin beneath her shirt. She sighed as he traced indistinct patterns across her lower back, shivering delightfully when a talon would gently scratch her.

It was almost too much for him to take. It was fairly tame but extremely arousing at the same time. They'd been apart for too long…

He quickly leaned up and captured her pink lips with his and traced the bottom swell with his rough tongue. The groan she let out was more than confirmation that she wanted this too. He stood and lifted her to the bed, dropping her unceremoniously while he paused to take in her flushed visage; her hair fanned about her like a dark halo while her eyes pierced his with feral desire.

"Have I ever told you how ruthlessly ethereal you are?" he asked with a whisper. She shivered uncontrollably at his words. When did he become so adept at paying compliments? Not that she minded, of course, but his natural awkwardness was remarkably endearing. She held her arms out as an invitation for him to fall into her. He crawled slowly atop her and gently caressed her midnight mane. He held the locks to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"I'll never forget your scent," he murmured. His tongue laved a hot trail from her collarbone up to her earlobe, relishing the shaky sigh she released. "I can smell you everywhere and it drives me wild with want." He nipped gently at her neck while she clung to him, surrendering to the delicious sensations. Rina managed to slip her hand beneath his cowl and massaged the sensitive skin underneath. He groaned loudly in her ear and she felt heat shoot through her.

"My, my," she said breathlessly. "Aren't you a bad one?" He looked down upon her and smiled in a wonderfully frightening way.  
"Oh, yes," he replied. "Let me show you just how much."

* * *

The way he touched her was so different from their first time. Before he'd been tentative and gentle, unsure of what to do or where to go. But this time he was savage and needy and she loved him for it. The ecstasy they achieved was indescribable and afterwards, completely spent, cuddled in her bed under the stars.

She felt heavy with happiness as she stroked his rough chest. His arm around her shoulder tightened with whatever strength it still possessed protectively.

"Not to question a good thing," she said suddenly, "but what was that about?"

He looked down at her tired face and nuzzled her forehead. "I wanted to show you how much I love you. Is that not a good reason?"

She giggled quietly. "It's a perfectly good reason. It was so different from before so I was unsure what you meant."

"Forgive the insubordination, Commander," he said lowly, "but I have an order for you." He flipped her beneath him and he could already feel himself becoming excited all over again. "Never let anyone see you the way I see you now." He leaned down and let his teeth graze her pulse and she involuntarily jumped beneath him. "You are mine, Rina, and let Alenko be damned."

"Yes, sir!" she squeaked. The rest of the night was filled with the feeling of completion; no feelings unsaid and no desire denied. They both knew that no matter what happened or where their paths led, they'd never truly go separate ways.

 **So that's all! I hope you liked it and please leave a review to let me know what you thought! :)**


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